


A Smaller Christmas Miracle

by raven_bird



Series: Christmas Challenge 2015 [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Gift Giving, POV: Ginny, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-04 20:13:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5347112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raven_bird/pseuds/raven_bird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luna's infatuation with Cho Chang has not gone unnoticed, and Ginny intends to do something about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Smaller Christmas Miracle

**Author's Note:**

> Written (again, late) for [this Christmas Prompt Challange](http://alloftheprompts.tumblr.com/post/134349883493/25-days-christmas-romance-challenge)
> 
> Prompt: Character A’s best friend rigs the Secret Santa, because they know Character A has a crush on Character B.
> 
> I intended this to be more Cho/Luna centric but there's a lot of friendship going around too, because I love all the HP girls.

“Hermione.” Ginny said, avoiding her friend’s eye as she carefully squeezed a thin line of icing on to a gingerbread man. “I need your help with something.”

 

Hermione made an inquiring noise, tying her hair back and sitting down next to her.

 

“It’s about when we draw names for Secret Santa.”

 

“Ooh! I can spell them so that nobody draws their own name, if you want.”

 

Ginny grabbed a cookie and sat back. “That’d be great! But there’s something else, actually.”

 

“Alright?”

 

Ginny chewed on her mouthful of cookie, thinking. She wasn’t sure exactly how Hermione would react to her suggestion. There was a very good chance that her friend would be reproachful, because it was the tiniest bit dishonest. But Hermione was a romantic at heart, Ginny suspected, and match-making was something that would appeal to her.

 

“It’s about Luna, I guess. You must have noticed that she’s a little… smitten, recently?”

 

Hermione hummed. “She has seemed dreamier than usual. Why, do you think she has feelings for somebody?”

 

“I think it’s Cho Chang.”

 

Ginny had first noticed it a couple months ago, when they had been talking about old Hogwarts friends, and Luna had expressed how much that she had admired Cho’s bravery during her time at Hogwarts. Ginny had frowned, and said that she didn’t remember that well.

 

“Well, of course not, you were too jealous about the fact that she was with Harry,” said Luna, simply, and she went on before Ginny could protest. “But she really went through a lot. Even after Marietta told Umbridge about the DA --”

 

Ginny had shuddered. “Ugh.”

 

“ -- Cho still stood up for her friend. Even when everyone else stopped talking to them.” Luna took a sip of tea. “And she was always kind to me. She bought a Quibbler every month.”

 

Ever since then, Ginny had been noticing that Cho’s name came up in conversation more than it ever used to. Luna had run into her in Flourish and Blotts, while looking for a rare book examining the habits of a Glumbumble, and the two of them had ended up talking for a good half hour. They had then begun to write letters, and Ginny got the feeling that the poor owls spent more time delivering envelopes than resting.

 

“Cho?” Hermione looked deep in thought. “I could see that. But what does this have to do with the Secret sSanta?”

 

“I need you to help me rig it.”

 

“Ginny--”

 

“Just so that they draw each other’s names!” Ginny looked pleadingly at the brunette. “It wouldn’t change anyone else’s Secret Santas at all. And it’d be like… performing your own Christmas miracle.”

 

Hermione laughed. “I guess.”

 

“So you’ll do it?”

 

“Sure. I’ll do it.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It had turned out to be relatively easy to charm the slips so that Cho’s name could only be picked by Luna, and vice-versa. Hermione had read about the spell in a book, years ago, and it hadn’t taken her long at all to get the hang of it. Ginny had never been so grateful for her friend’s smarts.

 

Their Secret Santa group was a large one, built up of the group of girls from the same Hogwarts era. It had started small, with a couple of the woman who had reconnected a couple of years ago. From there, it had only grown, until it was composed of many of the girls who had been in the DA, all those years ago. And then, finally, it grew past that. Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass eventually joined the crowd, bringing along Daphne’s sister, Astoria.

 

The bunch of them met up monthly, and did anything from discussing books to going out for drinks at the nearest bar. On one memorable occasion, Hermione had mentioned the muggles’ idea of skydiving, and before Ginny knew exactly what was happening, they were planning their own skydiving excursion. (Ron had nearly choked when Hermione had explained to him exactly what it was).

 

This was the first year that they had arranged a Secret Santa, though, and Ginny was looking forward to it. She had offered to host their meeting at the Burrow this time, so the girls crowded into the kitchen, finding whatever chairs were available. Some conjured small stools for themselves to use. Luna satisfied herself by sitting on the counter.

 

Hermione stood up, holding up a cookie tin. “I have everyone’s name in here. I also have it charmed so that it’s impossible to draw your own name, so don’t worry about that.”

 

“Damn you, Granger, I was hoping to get myself a dress from Madam Malkin’s.”

 

Hermione looked towards the direction of the voice, smiling. “I guess you’ll just have to hope that your Secret Santa keeps that in mind.”

 

With that, she passed the tin to her left, and Pansy Parkinson was the first to draw a slip of paper. The red and white container progressed from hand to hand around the room, and Ginny watched carefully when Luna fished for a name. From the tiny smile and the way her legs swung out happily from the counter, Ginny guessed that their plan had worked.

 

Cho, too, seemed pleased with the name she had picked. Ginny watched as she darted a quick glance at Luna, but tore her eyes away before anyone could notice (well, anyone but Ginny).

 

Contented with the outcome of her plot, Ginny drew a name for herself (Parvati Patil), and waited patiently until the last of the women had picked their Secret Santa. When the cookie tin made it back to Hermione, she stood up again.

 

“I’ll just remind you all of the way that we’ll do this. The first four gifts can be sent through owl-mail, though if you have a very recognizable bird,” here, she pointedly looked at Susan Bones, who had returned from a trip to South America with a vividly coloured scarlet macaw, “You may want to consider borrowing an owl so that they won’t guess it’s you. The last gift we’ll exchange in person, on December 23rd. Any questions?”

 

Nobody spoke up. Hermione clapped her hands together. “Perfect. See you all in a couple of weeks.”

 

The girls murmured amongst themselves as they cleared out, discussing gift ideas and their excitement for Christmas. Ginny found her way over to Luna.

 

“How’d it go? Did you get someone good?”

 

Luna’s eyes shone. “Oh, yes. I’m very excited. How about you?”

 

“I’m excited, too.” Ginny told her, and it was the truth. She couldn’t wait to see how the gifts and events would unfold from here.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Two weeks later, Luna invited Ginny over late in the afternoon. Though she had moved out of her old house, there were still the fundamental pieces of Luna that Ginny had come to expect, scattered around the room. One of the walls was half-covered with a large mural of all sorts of different creatures and people. Ginny recognized quite a few familiar faces, including Griphook and Dean Thomas and Dobby. She reached out and touched the dried paint.

 

Luna watched her. “Griphook died, you know. He wasn’t friendly, but I did like him. It was nice to have company in that dungeon.”

 

“You picked a good way to remember him.” Ginny said. “Your painting is lovely.”

 

The other woman beamed. “Thank you. Not many people know I paint, though, which makes me wonder… are you my Secret Santa?”

 

Ginny tilted her head. “I’m not, actually! Why would you think so?”

 

“I don’t know.” Luna shrugged. “It’s just that my most recent present was the most beautiful set of paintbrushes. It makes me think that whoever it is knows me very well.”

 

“Or they’re very observant.” Ginny suggested, thinking of the subtle way that Cho seemed to watch Luna sometimes.

 

Luna smiled again. “Or that.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


At long last, the final day of their Secret Santa arrived. Lavender Brown had offered to host the gathering, this time, and she had filled her living room with all kinds of Christmas decorations, down to the snow that seemed to be falling from the ceiling, but disappeared before it could reach ground. It was beautiful, Ginny had to admit.

 

As she waited for the other guests to arrive, Ginny toyed with the bow on her present for her own Secret Santa, Parvati (she had eventually decided on giving a pair of purple earrings and a dragonfly-patterned scarf). The room filled with people before her eyes. Hermione approached her, drinking from a cup of eggnog.

 

“Have Luna or Cho shown up yet?”

 

“Not yet,” said Ginny, and then: “Oh… hold on.... Cho just got here.”

 

Cho stepped into the room, smiling at Susan Bones and starting a conversion. Eventually, Luna arrived as well. When everyone was assembled in the room, Ginny shouted for their attention, and Hermione took the lead once more.

 

“Well, there’s nothing more for me to say,” she said, gesturing to the crowd. “Now that everyone’s here, we can give our final presents.”

 

Instantly, the girls began to move, gravitating towards their Secret Santas. Ginny received a pair of fingerless gloves from Pansy Parkinson -- “For quidditch.”

 

Parvati loved the earrings, and embraced Ginny with great warmth. She pulled back just in time to catch sight of Luna and Cho standing apart from the rest, facing one another, their unwrapped presents in their hands. The two of them seemed to be glowing with happiness, and Ginny noted the tenderness in Cho’s expression as she reached out to take the blonde’s hand.

 

Luna said something to Cho, who nodded, and together the two of them walked out of the room, tossing goodbyes to the others as they went. Ginny’s last glimpse of them was of Luna leaning closer to Cho, and then there came the muffled crack of disapperation.

  
Ginny had a feeling that this was the best present that her friends could have possibly received.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment or kudos if you enjoyed!
> 
> You can find me at [elderrwands](http://elderrwands.tumblr.com) on tumblr!


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